Shipping container



Nov. 1, 1949 v. B. MCGREW SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed Aug. 1, 1947 IN VEN TOR.

Kean 5 Mraar J/v's Attorney,

Patented Nov. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE SHIPPING CONTAINER Vaun B. McGrew, Chicago, 111. Application August 1, 1947, Serial No. 765,509

1 Claim.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in shipping-containers and more particularly to a container in which perishable products such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and milk, or the like, are shipped to the consumer or purchaser, and as such, my invention has for its principal object the provision for maintaining a proper temperature after the container has been received at its destination whereby it is not necessary, as is the common practice, immediately or shortly after the arrival of the container at its destination to unpack the container to place the product in a refrigerator for maintaining a proper temperature to prevent spoiling or deterioration of the product.

The container with which my invention is particularly related, though not limited to, is that type of container which is insulated for the purpose of maintaining the lowest heat transfer and. in which the product, usually though not necessarily pre-cooled before placement in the container, is firmly packed. When the food product is confined in the container it is sealed therein by a removable cover.

Prior to the advent of my invention it was the common practice, upon arrival of this container at its destination, to place the same upon a loading platform or in storage until picked up by the purchaser or consignee. Frequently, the containers remain on this loading platform, or at other places where the container has been deposited at its destination, an unduly length of time resulting frequently in the dissipation of the refrigeration properties of the container with the consequence that the temperature of the product is considerably raised to or beyond the danger point where the product within the container might spoil.

It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a shipping container of this character with interchangeable cover plates one of which is provided with a heat exchanging unit whereby the container upon arrival at its destination may have the usual and standard cover plate removed and the heat exchanging unit carrying cover plate substituted therefor and after such substitution, the unit may be connected with a refrigerating plant whereby to maintain the same temperature within the container as was contained therein during its tion.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

transportation to its destinameans I2 comprising latch The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shipping container having associated therewith the standard cover plate;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the container having substituted for the standard cover plate a heat exchanging unit carrying plate;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the heat exchanging unit;

Fig. 4 is a plan view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

The several objects of my invention are accomplished by the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings and in which in Fig. l I have illustrated a standard and well known shipping container in, the walls of which are insulated with material for maintainingthe lowest possible heat transfer. This container further includes a removable cover plate ll latched in place by a well known latching rods l3 and latch plates Hi. This cover plate II is supported below the top edge of the container upon an annular flange l0 provided by the container. In such a container, perishable products, usually though not necessarily pre-cooled before packing in the container, are placed for shipment to their destination in refrigerated cars, trucks, trailers, or the like.

For such a container I provide a complementary cover plate l5 which is intended to be substituted for the cover plate I l upon arrival of the container at its destination. This cover plate IS, with the exceptions hereinafter pointed out, is constructed in substantially the same manner and of the same material as the cover plate H and is latched or locked in covered position upon the container it in substantially the same manner as is the cover plate ll.

Secured to the cover plate l5 from and in spaced relation with respect to the bottom surface l6 thereof is a heat exchanging unit 11 comprising spaced plates l8 and I9 secured together in spaced relation with respect to each other by suitable bolts 20. These bolts 20 terminate into mounting studs 2| which are welded or otherwise secured to the cover plate [5 as at 22.

Between these plates l8 and i9 is arranged a heat exchange coil 23 formed of tubular material and having an inlet end 24 and an outlet 25.

These end portions provide upstanding end sections 26 and 21 carrying couplings 28 to which are connected in any suitable manner the flexible conduits 29 of a refrigerating plant (not shown) of any standard or approved construction.

Upon arrival of the container at its destination, the cover II is removed and the cover I substituted therefor. The heat exchanging unit I! is then connected with the refrigerating plant upon the accomplishment of which it will be apparent, through the operation of the heat exchanging unit, the temperature within the container l0 may be maintained. By this arrangement the container may remain at its destination in its original packed condition for a considerable length of time. This dispenses with the necessity of immediately unpacking the container to prevent spoilage of the products therein.

In the transportation of perishable food stuffs by refrigerated trucks, trailers or refrigerated cars, my invention has its most important application in, that, upon arrival of the containers with the perishable food stufis therein at their destination, the containers may be placed in storage or be left upon the loading platform for an indefinite period of time by the substitution of the heat exchange unit carrying cover plate for the standard cover plate of the container.

In addition to this important feature of my invention, it will be further apparent that my invention is simple in construction and as such may be manufactured at an economical cost.

My invention may be incorporated in containers of various styles and constructions wherein perishable food stuffs and other products are shipped.

By the use of a container equipped with my heat exchange unit carrying plate, the container becomes a storage unit in which the perishable products may be stored in an indefinite period of time and which unit is capable of maintaining a safe temperature during that storage period.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into efiect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

For a combination comprising a container having an open end and in which perishable products are adapted to be shipped and having an internal annular supporting flange located below the top edge thereof, a heat exchanging unit, a cover for the container mounted within the open end thereof upon said supporting flange for supporting said unit within the container, said unit comprising a pair of spaced plates, a cooling coil arranged between the plates and having an inlet and'outlet portion projecting through the cover, bolt members for connecting said plates in spaced relation with respect to each other and with the coil arranged therebetween, said bolts providing mounting studs for connection with said cover, and means for releasably latching said cover upon said supporting flange with the unit in said container below the cover. 1

VAUN B. McGREW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,561,276 Pankratz Nov. 10, 1925 1,728,572 Pearson Sept. 17, 1929 1,852,219 Sahnow et al. Apr. 5, 1932 2,069,374 Logomarsino Feb. 2, 1937 2,181,710 Schulse Nov. 28, 1939 2,433,655 Zoppola Dec. 30, 1947 

